Reader Question: I read that there is a digitalisation process for vehicle insurance policies in France. Am I able to check if my vehicle is definitely included on the new list?

From April 1, drivers will no longer need to have a green insurance sticker displayed in their vehicles. 

Instead, police officers will be able to access a database which contains the insurance information for vehicles, and will not need to pull drivers over to check if they have the insurance vignette.

All insurance companies must upload information about their policyholders to the new database.

Read more: End of green car insurance sticker in France: Eight questions answered

Officers can check if a vehicle is on the database – called the fichier des véhicules assurés or FVA – by using a vehicle’s number plate.

Can I check if my car is on the French insurance database? 

Policyholders can check themselves if their vehicle has been placed on the database.

A public version of the site has been available since March 12, which allows people to check for their own policy but not the policy of others. You can find the site here. 

You should be able to enter your vehicle’s number plate and numéro de formule du certificat d’immatriculation. 

This is an 11-character number-and-letter combination you can find on your vehicle registration (certificat d’immatriculation or carte grise).

You can find it in multiple locations of the document, including: 

• On the back of the vehicle registration document, in bold under the words “Certificat d’immatriculation” ;

• On the front, the number is written in the MRZ security strip at the very bottom;

• On the detachable coupon at the bottom of the vehicle registration document, under the registration number.

Read more: New app lets you buy or sell a car in France with no paperwork

If your vehicle does not show on the database, you should contact the customer service team of your insurance provider immediately to see if there is a problem. 

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